Red's Requiem of Horror
by PrettySoldierPetite
Summary: Red discovers an unusual, unfamiliar Pokemon while returning from Mt. Silver. As he struggles to find out more about it his friends begin disappearing one by one and even stranger the Pokemon seems to be getting stronger without him even trying. Could there be a connection?
1. Chapter 1

Mt. Silver was the towering structure that loomed between the border of the Kanto and Johto regions. To most, it was considered a dangerous place because it was home to many powerful Pokémon but Red had scaled its peak many times and it had become a regular training ground for him. He had already been there since daybreak but now the sun had set and he was finally making his descent down the left side of the mountain where he planned to meet his friend Gold who was housesitting for his mother nearby in New Bark Town.

"I hope it hasn't gotten too late…" Red pondered out loud looking up at the sky but the numerous stars only told him that it definitely was nighttime. He began reaching for his pocket to check his Pokédex for the exact time but a strong wind suddenly lifted his hat off his head and he gave chase.

A brief inspection of the surrounding group of bushes revealed a roundish red object that stood out among the dark greenery. "There you are!" he smiled reaching out but the object gave a shrill cry and fled behind the nearest tree at Red's touch causing him to fall back on his rear in surprise.

"Whoa! Sorry about that…" he apologized in the direction the thing had fled before glancing down and discovering what really was his hat lying next to him. He put it back on his head and stood up but the object was still looking at his from behind the tree, only partially hidden.

Now that he had gotten a better look, Red could tell right away that it was a Pokémon but he had never seen any others like it before. It didn't appear to have much of a body but looked like some kind of hooded figure wearing a skull mask with a single eye that wavered between two sockets. Again he reached for his pocket and this time managed to take out his Pokédex and opened it, focusing the camera on the Pokémon.

_Duskull, National Identification number: 189._

There was no other information displayed other than a map showing the Hoen Region and indicating Mt. Pyre. The only other thing Red could see right away was that this particular Duskull was a completely different color than the picture meaning it was exceptionally rare.

"So you're from Hoen… but then, how did you get all the way here?" he asked.

Duskull sheepishly swayed to one side. _"The truth is…I'm quite lost and could really use some help…." _The Pokémon had no moving mouth but Red could still hear a strange voice in his head. There were a wide range of Psychic-type Pokémon that could use telepathy but Red had never heard of one actually speaking.

"I'll say…" Red scratched the back of his head once the initial shock had worn off though he was still completely baffled. "But I don't think there is much I can do to get you back to Hoen…"

"_Then if it's not too much trouble could I accompany you?" _The Pokémon asked in the same bashful manner. _"After all, you seem much more familiar with this land then I am and in my current state I am simply no match for the other wild Pokémon in this area. I promise I'll return the favor."_

Red thought for a moment. Even though he knew next to nothing about this Pokémon it was easy to tell that it was in its first stage of evolution and so it was true that it would be in danger if he just left it and he also he to admit that the opportunity to raise such a rare Pokémon was tempting. "Well, alright then. It's a deal." He smiled.

It was not much farther to the house that served as a rest stop for trainers as well as the halfway point between New Bark Town and Mt. Silver where Gold was already waiting to meet Red.

"About time you showed up." Gold chided when he had finally spotted Red in the distance. The two greeted each other with their usual high-five.

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked." Red admitted

It was then that Gold noticed the usual form floating next to Red that seemed to be studying him. "So who's this? Where's Pika?"

"Oh, right. I left Pika wanted to stay with Chuchu so I left him with Yellow for now and this is Duskull. He wandered here all the way from Hoen so I'm just kind of looking after it for now." He shrugged

"Duskull?" Gold repeated pulling out his own Pokédex but like Red's it only offered a number to identify the species as well as the same map, but Gold's also indicated an average height and weight for the species as well as a type. "That's weird, there's almost nothing here."

Red nodded "I noticed that too so I was also hoping that I could at least find out a little more about it before I let it go."

"Hey, I know! Crys was doing some research with one of Professor Elm's contacts on Route 30, some guy who calls himself 'Mr. Pokémon'. We can ask her about it tomorrow, but for now let's head back to my place for the night." Gold chimed with a gesture of his thumb

The two arrived in New Bark town without any further setbacks but all the while Duskull had not stopped staring at Gold. By the time they reached Gold's home it was already almost Midnight. The other "House Pokémon" that lived there were already asleep so rather than disturb them for an introduction Gold showed Red the couch where he could sleep for the night and offered him a pillow and blanket before making his way towards his own room upstairs.

At first Duskull had stayed near Red but as soon as the boy had settled in he fell asleep almost instantly the Pokémon drifted up the stairs where Gold was.

Gold was in the hall finally about the reach his bedroom after completing his nightly rituals when Duskull's red eye took him by surprise having seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Hey, I thought you were sleeping with Red" he smiled awkwardly "What happened, did he start snoring?"

"_No, that's not the problem… the problem is _you_, Gold."_

"Me?" He took a step back. Red had told him about Duskull's ability to understand human speech but this was the first time he had heard it for himself.

"_I have seen inside your heart. You are reckless, especially when given responsibility, and have even lied in the past to get what you want. A child as mischievous as you should disappear."_

Duskull's eye flashed, its Mean Look attack freezing him on the spot. It then passed through his body like a dart using Shadow Sneak and Gold fell to the floor where he stayed motionless.

The next morning when Red woke up he could see that Duskull was apparently still settled in the same place it had been when he had fallen asleep last night but some of the other Pokémon seemed distraught and there was no sign of Gold. The movement from him getting up from the couch had caused Duskull to stir and the Pokémon followed as Red went to check if Gold was still sleeping.

"What the?!" Red cried out when he saw the heap of his friend's body on the floor. "Gold, what happened? Gold?" he tried shaking his friend awake but there was no response.

"_It seems like he's just exhausted. I'm sure that he'll be just fine with more rest_." Duskull assured him.

Red look back at Gold uneasily. It was true that the two had been out quite late last night, but his body was cold and what was even more unsettling was that his eyes were open though they were dull an unfocused. Nothing about it seemed natural but nevertheless Red managed to get Gold into his bed and instructed the "pet" Pokémon to keep an eye on him. He would have to talk to Crystal on his own but would check back later.

Cherrygrove city was only a short walk away and Route 30 was just to the north. Red knocked on the door of the only house in the area that appeared large enough to house a Pokémon Research Lab and the mailbox outside confirmed it. Crystal answered the door wearing a lab coat instead of her normal half jacket and without her hat. She would have looked almost professional if it weren't for her star-shaped earrings.

"Oh! Hi Red, I wasn't expecting to see you. I thought you were still on Mt. Silver." She beamed.

"I was, but there is something you might be able to help me with…" Red began "When I was on my way down from the mountain I ran into this Pokémon…" he glanced to the side indicating Duskull and Crystal's gaze followed and once again, the ghost Pokémon seemed to be studying her. "My Pokédex seemed to have trouble getting any info on it other than its name is Duskull and that it's from Hoen so Go-, I mean, _I _thought that maybe you could help me learn a bit more about it and possibly figure out how it got here…." He stopped himself from telling her about what had happened to Gold because he didn't want to upset her before he knew Gold was ok.

Crystal brought her thumb and index finger to her chin. "There are cases of Pokémon Migration but it is still unusual between regions." She observed "But we can still see if there is anything in our database of Hoen Pokémon." She stood aside and allowed the two to enter.

They followed her to a sleek but powerful-looking computer where Crystal sat down and began to navigate through the screens with ease until she had found the page with Duskull's picture.

_Duskull: Requiem Pokémon. _

_Hoen Identification Number: 148_

_National Identification Number: 189_

_Type: Ghost_

_Height: 0.8m_

_Weight: 15.0kg_

_If it finds bad children who won't listen to their parents, it will spirit them away-or so it's said._

"It 'spirit's them away'?" Red asked aloud.

Crystal shrugged "Oh, you know, it's just one of those stories that parents tell their kids so they'll behave. Anyway it's still not a lot to go on." She sighed "You might actually be better off talking to Silver; he seems to know a lot of trainers from different areas because he's always hanging around the Global Trade Station. But for now I can still send this information to your Pokédex."

"That's great, Thanks." He began to reach for his pocket but could instantly tell it was empty. It was then Red realized that he had left all of his supplies back at Gold's house. "Uh…" he droned blushingly.

"Don't worry, I can send it wirelessly." The girl giggled. "But if you're going to talk to Silver you probably should have it. I can watch Duskull until you get back"

Red nodded "I'll be right back." He promised before taking off.

Crystal swiveled her chair back towards the screen and began typing on the keyboard again as Duskull hovered over her shoulder, slowly making it way in front of her.

"_Your name is Crystal, correct?"_

Her fingers slammed down on the keys when she first heard the voice. At first Crystal looked around expecting to see Mr. Pokémon or Red returned but Duskull was the only other one in the room. "You… know how to talk?" she stammered

"_That's right."_ The Pokémon nodded _"And I know a lot more than that. I know that you are a Capture Specialist who uses her skill to capture as many different Pokémon as she can for others to study. You are skilled enough to raise six Pokémon at once but at the same time, the rest you capture as specimens are abandoned. Such a neglectful child should disappear."_

Again the singular eye flashed and Crystal's body resonated with the same glow. She was frozen just like Gold had been as Duskull passed through her body in the same way. Her body slumped in the chair, but she had managed to keep her sitting position.

Meanwhile Red had located his Pokédex and gathered his other belongings, a small flashing blue light indicating that the new data had been downloaded. He opened it and looked at the entry for Duskull once again. "_It spirits them away…_" he repeated in his mind before closing the palm device and climbing the stairs to check on Gold one more time but he was just as Red had left him. He couldn't have been "spirited away"; after all, he was still right there in from of him, wasn't he?

"I don't get it…" Red murmured and the thought gnawed at him to whole way back to Mr. Pokémon's house. He was a bit surprised when he opened the door and Duskull was right there waiting for him. "Oh! Hello…" he greeted with noticeable unease.

The tiny specter glanced over its shoulder to the next room where Crystal's limp body was. "_I came out here to wait for you because the young lady seemed so engaged in her research, I didn't want to disturb her._" It lied

"Really?" Red leaned to one side to look past the Pokémon. He could see Crystal was indeed still sitting at the computer, but there was something odd about her posture, had she fallen asleep in her chair? Maybe she had been working too hard…He had wanted to thank her before moving on to find Silver but he knew better to bother her if she really was busy.

Cherrygrove City and Route 30 were further from Goldenrod City than New Bark town but there were still back roads that eventually connected the two making what could otherwise be a much longer trip short and the Global Trade Station, or GTS, happened to be one of the most easily identifiable structures in the city.

The automated sliding glass doors opened as Red approached the conspicuous building. The truth was that this was the first time he had actually visited the Trading Station and he couldn't help but gawk at all of the sophisticated terminals trainers could use to communicate and at the many people who were there. "Amazing…"

"Is that you, Red?" a familiar voice called out.

Red whirled around to see Silver approaching. Normally, the red-haired boy seemed to wear a permanent scowl, assisted by his long bangs that partially covered his right eye and the dark clothing he wore only seemed to emphasize the illusion of a bad mood and but on this occasion his expression seemed a bit softer.

"I've never seen you here before, but it looks like you've already managed to make a trade." Silver glanced at the Duskull who, once again, stared back intensely.

"No, actually that's not it." Red waved his hands in front of him. "I found this Duskull here in Johto but I haven't been able to find out much about it, let alone how it managed to get here."

Silver folded his arms a furrowed his brow scowling for real this time. "And it's a rare, shiny color, no less..." He noted "And you're sure it's wild?"

"Positive." Red nodded

"Well, I certainly haven't heard any reports of a Mass Outbreak in the region…" Silver pondered "Did you talk to Ruby or any of the other Hoen Pokédex Holders?"

Red slouched at the suggestion. It was the first thing he should have done once he learned Duskull was native to Hoen but the most obvious solution had not come to him.

An annoyed sigh escaped Silver's chest. "Alright, then why don't you try to contact Ruby and Sapphire; I'll try Emerald and if you'll leave Duskull with me I'll see if anyone else around here knows anything."

Red did not have a Pokégear with a phone like Silver meaning he would have to use the Courtesy Phone at the Pokémon Center. It was only a block away but it also meant the two would have to split up and report back each other's findings. He entered the building with its trademark red roof and picked up the receiver of the computer-phone that sat on the right end of the reception desk and dialed the number for Ruby's PokéNav first. The line rang multiple times before switching to an automated prerecorded message:

"_We're sorry, the number you have dialed is unavailable at this time. Please try again later."_

The boy with jet-black hair let out his own sign of frustration before picking up the phone and dialing again, this time using Sapphire's number the result was exactly same. They both had their PokéNav with them but the message meant that they were turned off.

At the same time Silver's efforts had fared no better. A quick survey revealed that none of the trainers from Hoen that were using the GTS at the moment knew anything about the red Duskull and his attempt at contacting Emerald had also ended with an automated message, but in his case the number was out of the service area entirely. He left the terminal with both hands shoved in his pockets and his usual frown on his face to tell Red of his failure. He gave Duskull a sidelong glance.

"_You are still disturbed by my presence here, aren't you?"_

Silver came to an abrupt stop and his eyes widened. "Telepathy?"

"_Correct._" Duskull's entire body tilted forward in a nod "_You seem to know the more about me than Red and yet my being so out of place still troubles you even more than him._"

"What do you mean?" he stood up straighter and turned to face the Pokémon head-on.

The singular red eye closed thoughtfully. "_What I mean is that you do not trust my reason for being here when it is you who has proven had cannot be trusted by stealing. Such an dishonest boy should disappear._"

Another Mean Look attack parlayed Silver and another Shadow Sneak rendered Silver just as helpless as the others and he fell just like them before him but once his body had hit the ground Duskull's body began glowing with a white light. Its body grew and a vaguely human shape with two arms took form; it had evolved to its second stage.

Back at the Pokémon Center Red hung up the receiver once again after dialing both numbers another time. "Well, so much for the idea." He sighed before the soft ping of the automated doors opening behind him had caught his attention and a somewhat scrawny-looking man burst through the door in a panic.

"Finally, a friendly face!" he gasped in a heavy southern drawl "He said ah' might find ya here but ah' really wasn't expectin' ta see you of all people, Red"

Red instantly recognized the man as Bill, the man who had created and single-handedly ran the Pokemon Storage system in both Hoen and Johto and also lived in the city. "Wait, who said you would find me here? What happened?"

Bill took another deep breath "Ah' think it might be easier to show ya' first."

He led Red back to his own home that was just a few doors away from the Pokémon Center. Most of the house was littered in various documents and cables hooked to multiple computers but among the mess Red could clearly see the couch where Silver now was along with the newly evolved Dusclops.

"Ah' was on ma' way to perform some maintenance on the Storage System at the Global Tradin' Station when I found 'im just layin' on the ground…" Bill began at the questioning glance from Red "Ah' tried wakin' 'im, but he's out cold, literally! That's when this big fella' showed up. He said that he was with Silver when 'e collapsed an' recons it jest a bit a' exhaustion but that 'e was travelin' with you. Lucky 'fer me he showed up when 'e did or I'da never been able to get Silver here."

"Duskull?" Red stared at the Pokémon. Its new form stood on two legs and now had a much more defined body that appeared to be completed bandaged like a mummy with two large hands. He almost would not have recognized it had it not retained its unusual color and singular eye from before and the faint skull-like shape to its face had remained.

Bill looked back and forth between the two a few times before Red's confusion registered with him. "Naw, he's a Dusclops. Look, Ah'll show ya'." He walked over to the computer and with just a few simple commands was easily able to pull up the page he had wanted. It had the same format as the pages in the Pokédex, but once again other than a name, picture and a map of where the Pokémon was most often seen it was blank.

"See? It's the evolved form." Bill explained "though it looks like ah' haven't updated the database with the new information Lanette sent me from Hoen, but I think ya' get the picture.

"It evolved?" Red wondered aloud looking back at Dusclops again.  
But how could it have? I haven't used it in battle yet or any other kind of training."

The self-proclaimed Poké Maniac smiled "Shucks, that aint nothin'. Any Pokémon's gonna grow quicker when it's been with someone who aint the original trainer. Ah'm surprised ya' hadn't noticed yet." He put his hand to the back of his head "'Course maybe ya' hadn't considerin' ya' seem to like raisin' your own Pokemon. Green an' Silver are the only ones who seem to do any tradein' between the lot a' ya'."

"Hmm…" Red mused. Come to think of it, he had seen the effects trading had on Pokémon in the past, but never anything as dramatic as evolution. On top of that, there seemed to be something unsettling about this new form though he couldn't quite place it.

"Ya' know, if ya' really want, I have the updated page stored in ma' computer back in ma' cottage in Cerulean City." Bill added "It might not be such a bad idea to go an' add it to yer Pokédex."

Red raised an eyebrow quizzically "Well, I guess I don't mind, but what about Silver?"

"The way 'ah see it, all was can do fer now is let 'im rest an' hope fer the best." He folded his arms with a sigh and looked back at the couch where Silver still had not moved in the least. "Though I still can't figure' out what coulda' happened to 'im in the first place."

"Me neither…" Red mumbled inaudibly. He would make sure that Dusclops came with him this time and he would keep a close eye on it.


	2. Chapter 2

The Magnet Train was the quickest means of transportation in both Johto and Kanto and the best way to travel between the two regions. Not even a half hour had passed before Red found himself in Saffron City, just minutes away from Cerulean City in the north with Dusclops. After passing the checkpoint that lead to Route 5 which connected the two cities he had arrived and proceeded north to Cerulean Cape where Bill's cottage was.

When he had made it to the Cape he noticed a familiar girl around his own age with long brown hair and a white hat standing at the edge of the plateau near Bill's Cottage and looking out over the water. "Green? What are you doing here?" he called out as he approached.

"Red?" she turned around and leaned again the railing. "I came here because I thought it was supposed to be one of the most romantic places in all of Kanto, but it looks like the only ones who come here are all already couples." She pouted "What about you? Where did you come from and where did you get that Dusclops?"

He looked to the side and attempted to avoid her question as best as he could for now. "It's…kind of a long story." He answered vaguely "But I came here to use Bill's computer to get a little more information on Dusclops."

"Well, as long as I am here than there is no use in my missing out. After all, I don't know much more than you about Pokémon from Hoen" Green had slipped past him and was already walking back towards the cottage before he could protest.

The inside of Bill's summer home proved to be very different from his house in Goldenrod. It was small and cluttered by the many documents that were strewn all over the desk that was surrounded with boxes most likely filled with even more documents, all contained information on the Pokémon from Hoen that Bill had entered manually. The computer actually seemed to be the only thing there that remained completely exposed among the mess with clear paths leading between it and the other rooms.

Red sat down at the computer with Green watching over his shoulders as he navigated the screen. He was nowhere near as proficient as Crystal or Bill himself had been and it did not take long before he had become so focused on the screen that he did not notice when Green had begun looking at some of the various papers on the ground to aid his search and eventually made her way upstairs with Dusclops behind her.

"I wonder if it's already in one of those boxes downstairs." She discarded another document that had proven to be about a different Pokémon and glanced back at the red Dusclops. "I must say I'm a little jealous, though. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who would pay a lot of money for such a rare find."

"_Yes, I can see that you value money very highly_." Pokémon affirmed "_So much so that you would even deceive and manipulate others to get what you want. Such a conniving girl should disappear._"

Mean Look had once again rendered the target unable to move and with another Shadow Sneak she too was completely lifeless.

Downstairs, Red had finally managed to locate the information he had come for:

_Dusclops: Beckon Pokémon. _

_Hoen Identification Number: 149_

_National Identification Number: 190_

_Type: Ghost_

_Height: 1.6m_

_Weight: 30.6kg_

_Its body is hollow. It is said that those who look into its body are sucked into the void._

He was aghast; this was the second time the Pokédex had mentioned people disappearing and he couldn't deny something was clearly amiss, but no matter how he looked at it none of his friends were actually missing. Speaking of which; where was Green? "Green" He called out when a noise upstairs had caught his attention but Dusclops was the only one to descend the staircase.

"_The young lady already left while you were deep in your search._" it shrugged

Red sighed with audible relief. Leaving when something no longer interested or benefited her sounded like Green, but where would she even go? She couldn't have gotten too far so it was likely she was still somewhere back in the city.

The sky was already beginning to darken again but there was still no sign of Green after searching all through Cerulean City. By this time she was probably long gone. He sighed again, maybe it was not such a bad for him to go back to Viridian City and check in with Yellow and Pika either before it got too late. He could also have Blue try to contact Green from the Viridian City Gym when he arrived.

The shortest path between the two cities took through Mt. Moon, though unlike Mt. Silver, it was much smaller and had a clear path that had even been lit making it nowhere near as daunting. Even the Viridian Forest that laid to the south of Pewter City on the other side could be avoided by taking a shortcut on the right side of Route 2 that eventually led to the gate that separated the city from the forest.

Viridian City was small compared to most of the other in Kanto, but It was the Gym alone that gave it its' reputation. Not only was Blue the youngest Gym Leader in the region but he was also one of the strongest and was even known to turn down challengers he deemed under qualified.

Red, however, was welcomed as a friend of Blue's and immediately made his way into the office located in the back of the Gym where he found Blue wearing an unusually formal but official uniform from the gym, complete with a green armband that had an Earth Badge Emblem.

"This is a surprise." The boy with spiky brown hair stood up from his chair and offered his longtime rival a handshake.

Red returned the gesture with a nod "Sorry to drop in so unexpectedly, but I was wondering if you could help me get a message to Green. I ran into her a while ago, but she seemed to disappear. Actually, a few of the others have been acting a little strange, too, so I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"You don't say…" Blue raised an eyebrow glancing suspiciously at the Dusclops standing next to Red and his tone became much more serious. "Red, can we continue this outside, _in private_?"

He emphasized the last part giving another suspicious glance at the unusual Pokémon before leading Red outside into the main Gym and closing the door tightly but Red only gave him a confused look.

"So tell me, what do you think you're doing having such a dangerous Pokémon like that as your partner?"

Red had been caught off guard "What do you mean" was all he could manage

"I'm sure you couldn't have caught that thing without checking your Pokédex, so why would you want to keep something that clearly dangerous?"

"But I didn't catch it…" Red began as he did his best to retell the story from the beginning, but Blue was not impressed.

"And you still trusted that thing after all that has happened?" He threw his arms up incredulously

This only caused Red's own tempter to flair "How can you be so sure it was Dusclops?" he shot back "Even if what happened to the others is a little unusual, they haven't _actually_ disappeared."

"_Physically_." Blue pointed an accusatory finger at him "Ghost Pokémon all have strong, mysterious powers and are connected to the Spirit Word."

Red was dumbfounded again "You're saying Dusclops has been going around taking their souls?"

The Gym Leader nodded "I'm saying it's possible because I already know firsthand what they're capable of and whatever kind of hold that thing has on you has made you blind to the truth."

Red slouched, finally submitting. Was it really possible that Dusclops had somehow been controlling him this whole time? "So what do we do?"

"Well, it's obvious that Dusclops knows it can easily manipulate your decision, so the best thing for you would be to leave it here. It's not going anywhere as long as that door stays locked" Blue pointed a thumb at the nearby emergency phone that hung on the wall. "In the meantime, I'm going to try contacting Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald again sine they're the only ones who might know how to get rid of this thing."

His head was still hanging as Red left the gym. He didn't want to leave Blue alone like the others now that he knew what had happened to them but Blue had made it clear that he had already lost control of the situation himself and he was right. He also knew that Blue would stand a much better chance with the help of Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald if he could get through to just one of them.

Inside the Gym Blue had already begun dialing on the red phone. Emerald not only had the most experience with taming unruly Pokémon, he had even temporarily used a borrowed Dusclops in battle; he would be the first person Blue would call but the line did not even ring once:

"_The number you have dialed is outside of the service area. Please try again at a later time._"

Blue slammed down the receiver and tried the number for Ruby's PokéNav. This time the line rang and was soon answered, the image of the boy appeared on the small screen attached to the phone.

"Blue! I thought my PokéNav had said I missed a call. What's going on?" Ruby asked

"We've got a serious problem with a Pokémon from your area and I could use some help. Where are you? Are Sapphire and Emerald with you?"

The tiny image panned out as Ruby held the device further away from his body revealing his elaborate costume designed to be reminiscent of the Pokémon Gallade. A bit more of the scenery was also exposed showing that Sapphire was next to him looking over his shoulder and she also worse a costume that gave the appearance of the Pokémon Gardevoir, though it was unusual for her to wear a dress.

"I'm in Slateport City. I finally talked Sapphire into taking part in a Double Performance with me and we made it to the Grand Festival." Ruby explained "Coordinators aren't allowed to have mobile devices during the competition which is why I couldn't answer earlier and Emerald is off exploring the Rainbow Cloud with Todd, but what kind of problem…"

He was cut off by a horrific banging sound coming from behind the door where Dusclops had been locked.

"What was that?"

Blue turned his head "_That_ would be the problem." He sneered "Just get here as quick as you can and I'll explain later!"

Again the phone was slammed down and there was another pound on the office door which finally gave way to the barrage of Shadow Punch attacks from Dusclops on the other side. Once outside the Beckon Pokémon leapt forward gearing up for another attack, this time on Blue.

"Charizard!" he called out throwing the Pokéball to the ground and releasing the orange dragon-like Pokémon in a puff of smoke "Reflect!"

The move succeeded in blocking the physical attack sending Dusclops back and skidding to a halt.

"_Very well, let's see how long your defense will last._" Dusclops raised its hands and a blue glow resonated around its whole body.

Blue recognized the posture of the Future Sight; it was a delayed attack that not only allowed the Pokémon to predict his moves but would also be unavoidable. "We'll still counter it: Fly!"

Charizard let out a roar in affirmation and began beating its wings flying as high as the ceiling of the Gym would allow.

"_Enough of this!_" The ghost Pokémon raised both arms straight up and the immense pressure of its Gravity filled the whole room grounding Charizard and even bringing Blue to his knees. "_You are a spiteful boy who only looks down on those you see as weak. Such an arrogant boy should disappear._"

Mean Look rendered both Pokémon and trainer unable to move and Shadow Sneak caused Blue's body to collapse completely. Finally, the Future Sight struck sending Charizard back to the Pokéball.

Moments later Ruby and Sapphire appeared outside the gym in a flash of psychokinetic energy from the Teleport used by Ruby's Kirlia.

"We made it, great job Ruru." Ruby gave the Emotion Pokémon an affectionate pat on the head and it squealed gratefully.

"We would have been here a lot sooner if we hadn't been wearing those outfits of yours." Sapphire glowered before looking up the Gym "I wonder what the big emergency could be?"

"Who knows, but it sure didn't sound good on the phone so I guess we'd better get inside."

The three entered but there was no sign of Blue though it had become clear that a struggle had taken place.

"Hey Blue, are you in here? Blue?" Ruby called out looking from one side to the other as he led the trio but there was still no answer.

Sapphire was the first to see the motionless body on the ground. "Ruby, look!" she pointed and the three rushed over, but he was unresponsive. "What could have done something like this to him?"

A bolt of ghastly purple energy came from behind, the Night Shade just barely missing Sapphire caused all three to whirl around.

"I think we just found our answer." Ruby said warily as Dusclops stepped forth.

"Isn't that the same kind of Pokémon that tried to swallow Wally? How did a Dusclops get all the way to Kanto?" asked Sapphire

"Who knows, but we need to get it out of here! Magical Leaf!"

The Kirlia squealed again in response and began twirling around on the tip of its toe like a ballerina, sending rainbow colored leafs from its body that homed in on Dusclops but the Beckon Pokémon raised its hands again and all the leafs were instantly burned in a spectral blue fire from its Will-o-Wisp attack.

"_Such disrespectful children!_" Dusclops put its wrists together launching another Night Shade at Ruru, bringing the Kirlia to the ground.

"Return!" Ruby seethed holding out its Pokéball and Ruru disappeared inside. The truth was that all of his Pokémon's attacks had been refined for Contest Appeal, not battle. The most he could do was be a backup to Sapphire but she would have to make the next move and she was already ahead of him.

"Minun!" Sapphire called out

Ruby's face lit up and he gave a nod, understanding the cue completely. "Plusle!"

Two small, yellow mouse-like Pokémon emerged from the two balls that had been tossed, almost looking like exact twins were it not for the different shape and color of their cheeks and tails that looked like positive and negative sign respectively.

"Double Team!" Ruby and Sapphire cried simultaneously

Plusle and Minun sped in opposite directions in a circle around Dusclops creating illusionary copies of themselves, their boosted evasiveness allowed them to avoid the series of Shadow Punches.

"Thunder Wave!" The two shouted in unison again

Both of the Cheering Pokémon released an electric charge from their cheeks creating a blinding light that filled the whole gym when amplified by the doppelgangers and apparently leaving Dusclops immobilized by the Paralysis.

After a brief pause Ruby broke the silence "I think we got him…"

"…_Bothersome Pests!_" Dusclops roared unleashed the stored energy of its Payback and sending Ruby and Sapphire against a wall along with Plusle and Minun.

The two trainers slowly managed to right themselves but neither of their Pokémon were able to continue battling and both were called back to their Pokéballs.

"You are no better than your friend; a girl whose cowardice caused her to abandon the one she cared about most and a boy who is so vain that he hides the shame of his own imperfections under a hat. Such selfish children should disappear" Dusclops continued as the two tried to get their next Pokémon but there was no time.

Ruby saw the attack coming and instead immediately turned his body and threw his arms around Sapphire to shield her but they were both frozen by Mean Look and pierced by Shadow Sneak. For the second time, the Beckon Pokémon's body was enveloped in the light of evolution and it advanced to its final form.

Outside Red had wandered west after leaving the Gym. He could see Route 22 that lead to the Indigo Plateau to the North or Mt. Silver even further west, back to where this whole thing had started. Now, thanks to him, four of his friends were gone, and he could have very well put at least one more in danger. It was true what Blue had said about Ghost Pokémon and the Spirit World but was it really possible that Duskull had the power to trap a person's soul there?

He turned at the sound of a familiar call from behind and instantly a pointy-eared bundle of yellow fur leapt into his arms. He managed a small smile and patted the Mouse Pokémon's head when he heard another familiar voice.

"I thought you might be back when Pika started getting so restless."

Red looked up and saw Yellow with her usual poncho and straw hat along with her own Pikachu. He had almost forgotten that the main reason he had come to Viridian City was to get Pika back from her, but now she had found him first.

"You were gone a really long time, did something happen while you were on Mt. Silver?" She asked as she approached him

He looked down again avoiding her glace. She was the last person he wanted to have worry but out of all his friends she was also the best at communicating with Pokémon so maybe telling her what had happened would ease some of his own. "Yellow… do you think it's possible that there are evil Pokémon?"

"Evil?" The blonde repeated. The question had taken her by surprise, but she still thought for a moment. "No, there are no bad Pokémon, but they can become bad it people raise them to be that way. Why would you ask that"?

Red finally brought himself to look up at her. "I always thought the same thing but I met a Pokémon from Hoen when I was on the mountain and even the Pokédex seemed to say it was dangerous. I didn't believe it so I showed it to some of the others, but every time I did something strange would happen to them."

"Where is it now?" she asked

"Blue told me to leave it at the gym with him; he seemed to think it was somehow hurting everyone else so he was going to call Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald to help him get rid of it."

Yellow's face was beginning to show concern "I still don't think a Pokémon would hurt people on its own but if it's really that dangerous do you think Blue might still need help?"

"I don't know…" Red sighed "Blue said that I had only made things worse by taking it with me in the first place, but that was a while ago. Maybe we should at least see if he has been able to reach our Hoen friends."

It was a short trip back to the Viridian City Gym, but it had still been too long for the three inside.

Yellow took Blue's hand in both of hers and closed her eyes feeling for any sign of life, though her powers were more effective on Pokémon than people. "There's a pulse." She confirmed "But he still feels cold and distant somehow."

"Yellow, this is just like how I found the others." Red grimaced "I'm starting to think that Blue might be right about Dusclops being dangerous."

"But if that's true, than where is it?"

Red glanced around. "I don't know, but we need to find it; if it's not responsible maybe it at least saw something but if it is than we need know. Either way, I'm going to find out the truth once and for all."

He burst through the doors of the gym and broke out into a run, heading north, along with Pika.

Yellow was not far behind but struggled to keep up. "Wait, Red! Where are you going?" she called out with a near stumble.

"Pewter City!" he answered over his shoulder in between heaves "If it really is going after humans it will probably go to a larger city than Viridian where there are more people."

"Then I'm coming with you, it'll be faster if we ride there." She grabbed a pokéball from the holster on her waist and threw it to the ground. "Dody!"

A Pokémon resembling an ostrich with three long necks and a different expression on each of its three faces appeared. Yellow jumped onto the Dodrio's back and caught up with Red in an instant; grabbing his hand and helping him up onto the Triple-Bird Pokémon's back as well. At this speed passing through the Viridian Forrest would be no problem, the two were already passing the largest grove of trees in the center of the forest when a large blue figure came into view ahead.

Red studied the round form: the coloring was different from before along with an eerie pattern across it's midsection that almost looked like a face and the legs had disappeared in favor of a ghostly tail, but the structure of the body remained the same as well as the powerful arms and conical head that surely still possessed a single eye. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the Dusclops he was looking for but it must have somehow evolved again. He pulled out the Pokédex once more to confirm what he already suspected:

_Dusknoir: Gripper Pokémon. _

_Sinoh Identification Number: 191_

_National Identification Number: 477_

_Type: Ghost_

_Height: 2.2m_

_Weight: 106.6kg_

_The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there._

"Yellow, that's it!"

She gave a light kick signaling her Dodrio to speed up and close the gap.

"Dusknoir!" Red called out as soon as they were within shouting distance causing the Pokémon to stop and turn towards the two. Red leapt from Dody's back before it had even come to a complete stop and finished his approach on foot while Yellow called Dody back to its pokéball. "You evolved again, even though we haven't been in a single battle together and every time one of my friends has gotten near you they seem to suddenly collapse. What's the connection?"

Dusknoir sneered. "_You finally figured it out, you stupid boy? Your so-called friends are all in the Spirit World because they are nothing but ungrateful good-for-nothings just like the rest of your species and now that I am strong enough to hold my own you are just as disposable as the rest of them._" The Pokémon raised its arms in preparation for an attack but was stopped by a residual surge of electricity left by Plusle and Minun's Thunder Wave allowing Yellow to step forward.

"I see now. You've been hurt, haven't you?" she said "In the past there were a lot of trainers who wanted you because you were different, they thought it meant you were stronger but quickly abandoned you when they expected too much. That's how you got to Kanto, isn't it?"

"Is that true?" Red stared at the Gripper Pokémon who remained silent but Yellow nodded for it before continuing.

"I can see why you don't want to trust humans, but how can you still say we're all bad when Red still showed you kindness?"

Dusknoir huffed the question away with a jerk of its head "_Pure naivety. And what do you know of kindness, a girl who selfishly holds back the ones she so willingly heals out of fear of being left behind? You should disappear along with the rest of them._"

Red could only watch as Yellow fell to the same combination of Mean Look and Shadow Sneak that had taken the rest of his friends. "No" he gasped dropping to his knees and held her body up against his. "Why are you doing this? Can't you see she was only trying to help you?"

"_She was just another liar just like you and everyone like you; Wild, Thoughtless, Bitter, Deceptive, Cocky, and Resentful. In the end, all you humans are the same._"

"You're wrong…"The boy mumbled with his head hanging low. "You're wrong!" he repeated closing his hand that held Yellow's. "Humans are not as evil as you think! It's true we can sometimes do bad thing we are also Tenacious, Devoted and Strong." These were Red's friends from Johto: Gold, who didn't give up on proving his worth, even when his own life had been in danger. "_Like professor Oak told me, I'm the __**hatcher**__!_" Crystal, whose dedication had led her to be the only one of their group to fully take on the task of completing the Pokédex. "_I couldn't capture the legendary Pokémon, but I managed to gather most of their data during the battle. The rest was pretty easy._" And Silver who had found the strength to overcome a harsh past full of negative influences. "_I have no regrets and I'm willing to face whatever punishment awaits me._"

They may not have been with him but Red could see them all so clearly it was as if he could reach out and pull each of them back from the darkness one by one.

His thoughts were beginning to affect Dusknoir. The Pokémon saw the three as Red did now but the exposure to their true natures was too much and it could no longer contain their souls. It doubled over, holding its stomach and began glowing with the same light as when it had evolved but this time three other points of light escaped its body and it returned to its previous form, but Red continued.

"Sometimes our own desires can lead us to do the wrong thing but we can seek help from others to be forgiven and sometimes our pride can make us seem distant but when we show skill it can give others something to strive for." These were Red's closet friends that all came from his own hometown: Green, who had been just as misguided as Silver when she was a child. "_I wanted to do what __**they**__ were doing! I was from Pallet Town Too!_" And Blue who had once infuriated him by always seeming to be two steps ahead of him only to become a powerful ally after Red had not only caught up to him but surpassed him. "_Then the winner is Bl-… __**No**__! The champion of the Pokémon League is __**Red**__!_"

Again he reached out and grabbed both of their hands.

Two more souls left its body causing the Pokémon to writhe again, it grabbed its head. "_No! Humans are selfish! If they do help each other its only because they expect something in return and when they don't get what they want they take it out on each other or anything else they can find._"

"We do fight sometimes but we are also able to forgive one another and even learn to work together." This was Ruby and Sapphire, two friends who had almost let a disagreement as the result of an accident come between them but one the dispute had been resolved it had only caused them to realize their feelings for each other. "_Ruby… I __**like**__ you._"

Another pair of souls that almost seemed to be touching escaped and once again the Dusclops devolved going back to its first form but now it no longer looked angry but had begun to cry.

"Yellow was right about you. Until now you've only seen how people can hurt each other but now do you see that some of us really do care?"

The Duskull nodded tilting its whole body forward to do so. "_You've been very lucky to meet such wonderful friends._"

Red smiled "More than that. I was also lucky enough to meet someone who loves her friends so much that she couldn't even stand the thought of them being hurt or changing in any way." _"But it doesn't matter what it __**looks**__ like! Ratty is __**Ratty**__! I won't let it bother me anymore!"_

Yellow's body responded, rising up slightly as the final soul returned to her body causing Duskull's to begin to fade away. "_Thank you for showing me._" The Pokémon was still crying but it smiled as its body continued to vanish until only the small skull-shaped reaper mask remained and it too faded when it hit the ground.

Red could feel Yellow's body begin to move as she looked around reminding him that he was still holding her. "Yellow, what happened?"

"I was with the others." She said "It was cold and dark but we could all hear you, It was your voice that lead us out. What happened to that Pokémon?"

"Disappeared." Red sighed looking at the place where Duskull had been. "But it seemed a lot happier though I guess I still have a lot of explaining to do…"

But she didn't answer. It didn't matter to her as long as their friends were all safe now, she just wanted Red to hold her a little longer.


End file.
